Lighting apparatus used on theatrical stages often incorporate a plurality of light sources. U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,766 to Bailey et al. discloses a multi-color focusable LED stage light. A linear actuator is operable to move a base member containing an array of LEDs which in turn cause the LED array to change the direction of the optical axes of a substantial number of LEDs. By deforming the base member 20 in Bailey, the LEDs can be converged or diverged on an area to be illuminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,837 to Belliveau discloses a beam altering mechanism for a plurality of light sources. An apparatus is disclosed incorporating a plurality of light sources, such as a plurality of lighting emitting diodes, and a beam altering mechanism for altering the light projected by the plurality of light sources. Several mechanisms for altering the beam produced by the plurality of light emitting diodes are disclosed.
U.S. Patent Application 20150016106 to Belliveau et al. discloses a theatre lighting apparatus including a plurality of light emitting modules or light emitting devices contained within a lamp housing each having a remotely controllable pan and tilt axis. The theatre lighting apparatus is also capable of remotely positioning the lamp housing containing the plurality of light emitting modules.
One of the preferred lighting looks on a stage is called a fan effect. A fan effect places a plurality of single lighting instruments arranged to project their projected light beams into a fan. It has also been known to produce a fan effect theatre lighting apparatus called the MacArgus https://vibs.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/ACR-Mac-Argus-ACL-Lichtfächer.jpe by ACR of Switzerland. While MacArgus could create the desired fan effect each of the nine light beams remained fixed to only one distribution pattern. The MacArgus was known to operate with sealed beam lamps called Aircraft Landing Lamps referred to as “ACL”. The ACL lamps were wired in series so that all lamps needed to be on at the same time in order to operate. The MacArgus could not change the color, intensity and position of each nine ACL lamps.
It is desirable to create a novel theatre lighting apparatus that is compact, can create the desired theatrical fan effect and also remotely vary the position of the light beams so more than just a single fixed fan effect can be created thus increasing its economic value.
U.S. patent application to 2015/0016106 to Belliveau et al. illustrates a theatre light that is fairly compact. The light projecting modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Belliveau et al., 2015/0016106 can be remotely controlled to vary their position by a user to project light into desired directions. The modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Belliveau et al., 2015/0016196 are arranged close together in theatre light 100 in order for the light 100 of Belliveau et al., 2015/0016196 to be compact. The modules pan and tilt movement are physically limited to an approximate +/−fifteen degrees for both pan 670 and tilt 660 of FIG. 6B of Belliveau et al. 2015/0016196. The physical limitation is based upon the overall size of the light 100. It is possible to increase the pan 670 (x axis) and tilt 660 (y axis) however the spacing between modules must be enlarged to prevent collisions. The larger spacing means the physical size of the lamp housing 130 of the theatre light 100 of Belliveau et al. 2015/0016196 must grow in size and thus will reach an undesirable or unmanageable size.